Category Manager

Confidential; Dubai; On-site; AED 279,000 - 502,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential in Dubai seeks a Category Manager to lead end-to-end category management, driving sales growth, profitability, and market share while optimizing inventory and assortment. The role partners with Buying and Merchandising teams and key stakeholders to strengthen the company’s leadership in retail.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years in category management, strong analytical skills, and proficiency with SAP and Power BI to shape strategic plans and reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field; degree in Supply Chain is a plus.
• Experience in category management with strong negotiations and analytics.
• Proficiency in SAP ERP, Power BI, and Excel for performance tracking.

Responsibilities

• Own the category strategy and commercial priorities.
• Lead assortment planning, pricing, lifecycle, and inventory optimization.
• Analyze market trends, competitor activity, and consumer insights.
• Develop and oversee promotional and campaign plans to boost sales and margin.
• Lead Buying and Merchandising teams and coordinate with stakeholders.
• Negotiate supplier terms and manage contracts and service levels.
• Use SAP, Power BI, and category management tools to drive improvements.
• Collaborate with Logistics, Marketing, Finance, and Operations.
• Present category performance reviews and business cases to leadership.
• Ensure alignment of pricing, promotions, space, and investments.

Skills

Category management

Negotiation

Data analytics

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business

Degree in Supply Chain Management

Postgraduate degree advantageous

Tools

SAP

Power BI

Excel

Job description

The role holder is responsible for leading end-to-end category management for the assigned category, driving sales growth, profitability, and market share while optimizing inventory and assortment. The position develops and executes category strategies, ensuring that product ranges, pricing, and promotions align with customer demand, brand positioning, and overall business objectives. The Category Manager leads and coaches the Buying and Merchandising teams, partnering with key internal and external stakeholders to maintain and strengthen the company’s leadership position retail.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the category strategy for assigned category, defining positioning and commercial priorities in line with overall business goals.
• Lead assortment planning and execution, including product selection, pricing, life-cycle management, and inventory optimization for all relevant channels and store clusters.
• Conduct in-depth market and customer analysis, including trends, competitor activity, and consumer insights, to shape short- and long-term category plans.
• Develop and oversee promotional and campaign plans to maximize category sales, margin, and stock health, aligned with seasonal and brand opportunities.
• Lead and guide Buying and Merchandising teams to ensure assortments meet customer expectations and reflect the desired brand and category positioning.
• Monitor supplier performance, negotiate commercial terms and contracts, and secure competitive pricing, trading conditions, and service levels.
• Use tools such as SAP, Power BI, and category management systems to track performance, identify improvement areas, and implement corrective actions.
• Maintain optimal inventory levels by balancing product availability, stock productivity, and working capital targets across the category.
• Partner with Logistics and Supply Chain to ensure smooth product flow, managing risks around lead times, availability, and supply chain disruptions.
• Prepare and present comprehensive category performance reviews and business cases to senior leadership, providing clear insights and recommendations.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Retail Operations, Finance, and other functions to align on pricing, promotions, space, and investment decisions.
• Drive continuous improvement in category processes and ways of working, leveraging data and team input to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in business. Degree in Supply Chain Management. Certification in SAP and Power BI. Proficiency in category management tools. Postgraduate degree is advantageous.
• 7 years in category management. Proficiency in SAP ERP tools.
• Proven track record in leading categories with significant sales and margin contribution.
• Experience in supplier negotiations.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in data analytics tools, including SAP, Power BI, and Excel.
• Advanced experience with inventory optimization and retail performance metrics.
• Exceptional negotiation and strategic planning skills, with strong commercial acumen.
• Demonstrated experience in supplier management, negotiations, and contract management.
• Excellent organizational and multitasking skills, managing multiple categories, seasons, and projects